Working Life

I am of two minds about Tim Cook’s public declaration that he is gay. On the one hand, good for him if he thinks that it emboldens other people to not be afraid of their sexual preference being known publicly. On the other hand, if the message is that, you, too can come out but only once you are the CEO of one of the most powerful corporations in the world–and you can do all that while fleecing the U.S. government of billions of dollars in revenue…well, it’s a moment to pause and consider.

Read the full story

If you are some corporate lawyer or finance guy who is looking to get ahead, the surest way to move up the food chain is to find a way to fleece the American taxpayer. Drumroll, please. The newest one is: corporate mergers to shift taxes overseas.

Read the full story

Full disclosure. I’m typing this blog on a Mac. Within reach is my IPhone. So, this is not some sort of stealth pro-PC campaign. But, enough already — Apple is perhaps one of the biggest corporate tax dodgers in history. And it’s OUR money that Apple is salting away in tax havens around the world — money that isn’t going to the Treasury to fund schools, roads, health care and you name it. I’m right there at the point of throwing all my Apple products away — or at least pledging never to set foot in another Apple store again. What about you?

Read the full story

    I am continuously amazed by the reverence accorded company bosses. Put aside the incompetent ones, who get huge severance packages when they leave, or those who have looted their companies of tens of millions of dollars in pay and benefits, even when the companies lose money or collapse. I’m talking about even the ones […]

Read the full story

Alright, I guess I’ll do the obvious—a short rumination on taxes. I’ve always believed in taxes, though I certainly would rather my contribution to the federal treasury go to building schools or funding alternative energy than paying Halliburton to fleece us or some new, nutty version of Star Wars (isn’t it amazing how scientifically-discredited weapons […]

Read the full story